Dave Mustaine has decided to close the book on one of metal’s most storied rivalries by paying tribute to his own past. Megadeth’s upcoming self-titled final album, Megadeth, will include a brand-new recording of Metallica’s 1984 classic Ride The Lightning, a song Mustaine co-wrote before being fired from Metallica in 1983.
The inclusion of Ride The Lightning brings Mustaine’s 42-year journey full circle. After being dismissed from Metallica, Mustaine went on to form Megadeth in 1983, establishing one of the “Big Four” of thrash metal alongside Slayer, Anthrax and his former bandmates in Metallica. In doing so, he helped define the genre with precision, speed and ferocity that pushed metal into new territory.
In a statement announcing the record, Mustaine described his reimagining of Ride The Lightning not as an act of revenge or rivalry, but as one of respect. “This was about something so much more than how a song turns out,” he said. “It was about respect. I wanted to close the circle on my career and pay tribute to the band. I don’t believe James [Hetfield] thinks I respect him, and I wanted to make that clear.”
While Mustaine has hinted that the track is “faster, tuned lower, and vocally reimagined,” he’s also confirmed that Megadeth won’t be performing the song live. “It’s a personal tribute,” he said, “a way of saying goodbye the right way.”
The self-titled Megadeth album, due for release on 23 January 2026, will be the band’s final studio record. It follows 2022’s The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!, which saw the group return to their early thrash roots and earn critical praise for its intensity and musicianship. Mustaine confirmed earlier this year that this final album will be followed by a farewell tour, marking the end of a four-decade run that began with 1985’s Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!
The Megadeth tracklisting reveals a mix of new aggression and reflective power.
Alongside Ride The Lightning, the album will include:
1. Tipping Point
2. I Don’t Care
3. Hey God?!
4. Let There Be Shred
5. Puppet Parade
6. Another Bad Day
7. Made To Kill
8. Obey The Call
The record’s lead single, Tipping Point, has already hinted at the album’s tone – a mixture of blistering riffs, technical brilliance, and Mustaine’s trademark lyrical bite.
Megadeth will also spend 2026 touring with Iron Maiden across North America on the Run For Your Lives world tour, running from August through September. A handful of European festival appearances have been announced, with additional farewell tour dates expected later, including, hopefully, Australian shows.
Mustaine’s decision to cover Ride The Lightning carries enormous historical weight. Though he left Metallica before their 1983 debut Kill ‘Em All, Mustaine’s songwriting remains woven into the DNA of the band’s earliest work. He’s credited on The Four Horsemen, Jump In The Fire, Phantom Lord and Metal Militia from Kill ‘Em All, as well as Ride The Lightning and The Call Of Ktulu from the 1984 follow-up.
His firing from Metallica, reportedly after clashes with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, has long been part of metal lore. Megadeth’s 1985 debut even included Mechanix, a reworked version of Metallica’s The Four Horsemen, written entirely by Mustaine before his departure. Over the decades, the rivalry between the two bands has mellowed, most publicly reconciled during the 2010 Big Four concerts featuring Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth sharing the same stage.
Now, four decades after the split, Mustaine’s gesture brings the story full circle. “It’s back to where I came from,” he said. “It’s a good song – we played it really well. We sped it up a little bit, but I think we’ve done it just as good as the original.”
As Mustaine prepares to hang up his guitar, he reflected on Megadeth’s legacy: “We started a musical style. We started a revolution. We changed how the guitar is played, and we changed the world.”
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